The important role of Ins(1,4,5)P.sub.3 (D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate) as a second messenger in transmembrane signal transduction is well documented, M. J. Berridge, and R. F. Irvine, Nature, 341 (1989) 197-201. Once released from its membrane-associated precursor, Ins(1,4,5)P.sub.3 undergoes a rapid turnover by two discrete mechanisms mediated by a 5-phosphatase and a 3-kinase, respectively, leading to a number of polyphosphate derivatives, B. V. L. Potter, Natural Product Reports (1990) p. 1-24. These molecules play a role in an intricate metabolic pathway and the physiological function of some of their metabolites remains to be assessed.
With the enzymology and regulation of IP.sub.3 cellular metabolism as a basis, efficient synthetic routes to individual inositol polyphosphates have been developed; Y. C. Liu and C. S. Chen, Tetrahedron Lett. 30 (1989) 1617-1620 and D. M. Gou and C. S. Chen, ibid, in press. The strategy entailed a facile biocatalytic route to optically active inositol derivatives which, in turn, served as useful precursors to target molecules.
In this disclosure a unique synthesis is disclosed and exemplified by the preparations of Ins(1,4,5)P.sub.3 : Chiral synthesis has been reported; S. Ozaki, Y. Watanabe, T. Ogasawara, K. Kondo, N. Shiotani, H. Nishii, and T. Matuki, Tetrahedron Lett., 27 (1986), 3157-3160; C. B. Reese, and J. G. Ward, ibit, 28 (1987) 2309-2312; J. P. Vacca, S. J. DeSolms, and J. R. Hugg, J. An. Chem. Soc. 109 (1987) 3478-3479; C. E. Dreed, R. J. Tuinman, C. J. J. Elie, G. A. van der Marel, and J. H. van Boom, Recl. Trav. Chim. Pays-Bas, 107 (1988) 395-397; S. V. Ley, and F. Sternfeld, Tetrahedron Lett. , 29 (1988) 5305-5308; W. Tegge, and C. E. Ballou, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 86 (1989) 94-98; Ins(1,3,4)P.sub.3 : (D-myo-inositol 1,3,4-triphosphate), (S. Ozaki, M. Kohno, and Y. Wantabe, Chem. Lett. (1988) p. 77-80) ; and Ins(1,3,4,5)P.sub.4 : D-myo-isositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakis phosphate), (G. Baudin, B. I. Glanzer, K. S. Swaminathan, and A. Vasella, Helv. Chim. Acta, 71 (1988) 1367-1378); in multigram quantities from the optical antipodes of 1,2:5,6-di-O-cyclohexylidene-myo-inositol (1). ##STR1##